UH Mānoa completes athletic certification self-study

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa has completed drafts of a year-long self-study addressing National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I certification.

While academic accreditation is common in colleges and universities, this program focuses solely on certification of athletics programs. UH Mānoa completed its first certification self-study in 1996. At the 1997 Convention, the NCAA Division I membership voted to change the frequency of athletics certification from once every five years to once every 10 years. UH Mānoa completed its second certification self-study in 2002. Thus, the current self-study will be the third in the certification process for Mānoa.

The athletics certification program's purpose is to help ensure integrity in the institution's athletics operations. The program opens up athletics to the rest of the university/college community and to the public. Institutions will benefit by increasing campus-wide awareness and knowledge of the athletics program, confirming its strengths and developing plans to improve areas of concern.

Four committees reviewed the areas of: Governance and Commitment to Rules Compliance, Academic Integrity, Gender and Diversity, and Student-Athlete Welfare. A website has been established to update the campus and community on the certification process and invite public comment on draft reports. The website is: http://studentaffairs.manoa.hawaii.edu/site/ncaa_certification.php.

Comments or questions can be directed to Alan Yang, Associate Vice Chancellor at alany@hawaii.edu. An external team of reviewers will conduct an evaluation visit on campus in October, 2011. The reviewers will be peers from other colleges, universities or conference offices. The peer-review team will report to the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification. The committee will then determine the institution's certification status and announce the decision publicly.